


Season Blessings

by belivaird_st



Category: Mrs. America (2020)
Genre: Dollar Donation Drive, Gen, Holidays, Old-Fashioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:48:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27840262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belivaird_st/pseuds/belivaird_st
Summary: Phyllis helps out the Salvation Army.
Kudos: 2





	Season Blessings

Phyllis Schlafly was setting up a Salvation Army donation stand outside Pleasant Price with two of her six children bundled in hats and scarves and gloves. John was holding a red kettle bucket with the lid padlocked shut. Anne had the school bell with the Salvation Army logo stenciled in white paint. The both of them watched their mother adjust the stand legs before placing the large cardboard trademark shield on top.

“How long are we going to be out here, Mom?” John asked, once Phyllis took the red kettle from him to hang it up.

“Four hours.” Phyllis smiled. “We’ll have five minute breaks in between.” She gestured for Anne to start ringing. 

Anne started shaking the bell. 

John shivered while Phyllis balanced a woven basket filled packaged snack bags of shortbread cookies for customers that were moving past them back and forth the discount store. A few people caught sight of Phyllis and recognized her. They greeted hello and shoved their dollar bills to be rewarded with vanilla cookies afterwards.

Phyllis kept bopping her head. “Merry Christmas! God bless!”

“Shouldn’t we say, ‘Happy Holidays’ instead? Not everyone celebrates Christmas, Mom,” John pointed out.

“I think it’s somebody’s turn to ring the bell,” Phyllis laughed softly.

That was Anne’s cue. She passed the instrument over to her brother.

During the first break, Phyllis took over ringing, allowing her children to go warm inside the store. John and Anne barreled themselves through and felt the hot blast of the air vents hit their faces. 

“I’m going to go use the bathroom,” Anne said. 

John nodded and made his way to the coolers. He bought himself, his mother, and sister, bottled waters and a heath bar to share. The cashier was a good looking guy with wavy hair and deep brown eyes. He smirked as he rung up John’s items and made a comment about seeing him ‘going at it’ with the school bell.

“My mom’s thing,” John sheepishly answered back. He collected the waters and grabbed the candy bar. 

Phyllis was in the middle of calmly arguing with two young ladies about the equal right’s movement and how terrible she was for not supporting it.

“How can you smile so much on TV? You should be ashamed how much destruction you’re causing!” snapped one girl wearing earmuffs over short, spiky purple dyed hair.

“I’ve done nothing but speak the truth,” Phyllis spoke firmly. She rung the bell louder. 

“I hope you burn in hell with Hitler and Oswald!” sneered the second girl wearing a Pom Pom hat and braces.

“Hey—that’s my mother you’re talking to!” John intervened, surprised how shaky his voice become.

Phyllis acted like the girls weren’t there and kept ringing the bell, smiling at others that looked her way.

The girls snorted at John, shaking their heads. 

“Your mother needs a history lesson on how far women have come!” the spiky haired girl said.

“Shame on you both!” added the braces girl.

They both spit on the ground near the donation stand and continue onward. John was looking so upset, out of breath. Phyllis was cool and calm as ever. She beamed as she took her water and thanked her boy.

“Don’t tell the others, but you’re my favorite,” she grinned. 

“You say that to all of us,” John sighed.

Anne had dodged out of the way once she came out of the store with the two girls trying to spit her. It seemed like they did their research on the Schlafly family and knew who she was. Anne rushed over, looking back.

“Honey, that was more than five minutes,” Phyllis accused.

“I got my period,” Anne whispered, making her brother grimace in disgust.

Phyllis automatically handed her back the school bell and took a moment to unscrew the bottle cap of her water. John was still disturbed by what just happened and had a bad feeling these last few hours with his mother would not be pleasant she promised him they turn out to be.


End file.
